The 10 best medical shows ever

Nobody does bloody drama (and comedy) quite like them.

We need some drama, stat!

The medical show is a very specific art. It can't just be about the doctors or the patients or the medicine. It has to be about all of it — not only that, but in a sea of medical shows, every show has to find the thing that makes it stand out. After all, how many stories about heart transplants can one viewer watch?

In honor of one of the most beloved genres out there, we've rounded up the 10 best medical shows ever made. So if you're looking for your (fictional) hospital fix, we've got just the prescription.

ER (1994-2009, NBC)

Michael Crichton might've met some skepticism when he first pitched the idea of a show based on his own experiences as a medical student in a busy emergency room, but eventually, his idea would not only create incredible television, but it would also change the trajectory of medical shows everywhere. ER surprised audiences by offering an authentic, in-your-face look at the behind-the-scenes chaos of a Chicago hospital, an approach that at one point, made it the top-rated show in American television with more than 30 million viewers. It would go on to become the second longest-running primetime medical drama in American TV history, and did we mention it gave us George Clooney? —Samantha Highfill

Dr. Kildare (1961-1966, NBC)

Before he became the 1980s king of the miniseries with Shogun and The Thorn Birds, Richard Chamberlain played the titular Dr. Kildare, an intern looking to heal mind, body, and soul at Blair General Hospital. The series was the fourth incarnation of the Dr. Kildare story after an original magazine piece by Frederick Schiller Faust (under the pen name Max Brand) led to novels, an MGM series, radio plays, and then this NBC show, which became an immediate sensation. Chamberlain even had a top 10 hit singing "Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)." Is there anything that doctor couldn't do? —Dalton Ross

Grey's Anatomy (2005-present, ABC)

When Dr. Bailey's (Chandra Wilson) interns showed up on their first day of work at Seattle Grace, they might've been the bottom of the surgical food chain, but Shonda Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy quickly established itself as a top-tier medical drama. The characters were complicated — some might even say dark and twisty — the patients were compelling, and the romance? Don't get us started on McDreamy and McSteamy. More than 20 seasons later, there's a reason audiences still tune in to the longest-running primetime medical drama in history. Seriously. —S.H.

St. Elsewhere (1982-1988, NBC)

When people talk about St. Elsewhere, a mention of snow globes is usually not far behind. But while the famous NBC drama chronicling the goings-on at St. Eligius became infamous for its series finale that revealed none of the actions of the six seasons actually ever happened and it was all the imagination of a teenage boy staring into a snow globe, St. Elsewhere is still considered one of the most influential TV shows ever. And how about that cast? Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, Howie Mandel, Ed Begley, Jr., and David Morse all donned the St. Eligius scrubs on their way to stardom. —D.R.

Scrubs (2001-2010, NBC/ABC)

We don’t want no scrubs… unless they’re an employee at Sacred Heart Hospital. The Bill Lawrence-created sitcom proved that not all medical shows need be serious or dark and twisty. Led by Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke, Scrubs followed a group of medical interns as they rose the ranks of the hospital system, all told through the daydreams of J.D., played by Braff. The beloved series ran for eight seasons (the first seven were on NBC, but then moved to ABC after the WAG strike of 2007-2008), and was given a final ninth season before getting canceled yet again in 2010. But love for Scrubs lives on: Braff and Faison launched a rewatch podcast in 2020, and Lawrence himself has said he’d like to continue the show.  —Ashley Boucher

M*A*S*H (1972-1983, CBS)

Based on Robert Altman’s Oscar-winning black comedy, this long-running CBS sitcom found humor and randy romance in the grimmest of places: An overwhelmed mobile army surgical hospital in the Korean War. When Dr. Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) wasn't trying to save the lives of grievously wounded young soldiers, he and his prank-happy surgeon pals (Wayne Rogers' Trapper John, and later Mike Farrell's B.J. Hunnicut) distracted themselves from the bloodshed by drinking bootlegged gin, tormenting fussy functionaries like Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit), and finding outrageously creative ways to evade authority. Like the film, M*A*S*H never lost sight of its anti-war message, and "Dreams" — season 8, directed by Alda — remains one of the most haunting half-hours of television ever. —Kristen Baldwin

Getting On (2013-2015, HBO)

This dark comedy deserved more than three seasons. Set inside the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mount Palms Memorial Hospital in California, Getting On delivered the delicate balance of moving stories and laugh-out-loud comedy. How could it not with a cast that included Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash, and Mel Rodriguez? It certainly wasn't your typical medical show, and that's what made it so special. —S.H.

Chicago Hope (1994-2000, CBS)

Before there was Seattle Grace, there was Chicago Hope. One of David E. Kelley’s first shows, Chicago Hope centered on the doctors working within the titular Midwestern hospital, including Mandy Patinkin's surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, Adam Arkin's neurosurgeon Dr. Aaron Shutt, and Thomas Gibson's trauma surgeon/ER Dr. Daniel Nyland. The CBS drama (which premiered exactly one day before its biggest competition, ER over on NBC, in 1994) also starred Hector Elizondo, Peter Berg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Jayne Brook, Christine Lahti, and future NCIS costars Mark Harmon and Rocky Carroll. The dramatic procedures (remember when Kronk amputated someone's leg with a chainsaw?) showcased on the series earned it seven primetime Emmy Awards. The only thing worse than its cancellation after six seasons is the fact that it's not currently available to stream. —A.B.

House (2004-2012, Fox)

Part medical drama, part Sherlock Holmes mystery series, House starred Hugh Laurie as the titular misanthropic, arrogant, pain pill addict Dr. House for eight seasons on Fox. With a rotating cast of supporting characters led by Robert Sean Leonard and Lisa Edelstein, the show was always dark, poignant, and compelling, leading up to a shockingly satisfying ending that proved House was more than just "a bitter jerk who liked making people miserable." —Sydney Bucksbaum

Nurse Jackie (2009-2015, Showtime)

Yet another pill-popping medical professional won hearts and minds on Showtime's dark comedy Nurse Jackie — even when she was destroying the lives of herself and everyone around her. Edie Falco starred as the titular troubled ER nurse for seven seasons and won an Emmy for delivering a powerful story of addiction that made viewers laugh and cry in equal measure. —S.B.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.